Zvilo aims to become a major challenger bank in the Balkans for Balkan people living in the European Economic Area (EEA). It plans to disrupt the outdated Balkan banking sector and become a contender in an estimated remittances per annum market worth €14 billion. The company asserts that it has procured a letter of intent for a pilot program that would allow it to offer business lending to 800+ Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and financial services to 45,000+ potential personal banking customers. It has also initiated a licensing application with the Central Bank of Kosovo and partnered with Mastercard as its card partner. Zvilo will use the investment to formalise its application for Supply Chain Finance (SCF) licensing in Kosovo, execute its strategic partnership agreement with its Kosovar partner retailer, prepare for a second fundraising round, and expand its services.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£666,085
A women's clothing brand with wearers including Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker. The Baukjen Group is comprised of two brands; Baukjen, for timeless designs and Isabella Oliver, filling the gap in the maternity market. The company has experienced gross sales of more than £18m in the last financial year, with a net revenue of £10.7m and a positive EBITDA. Over the last two years, net sales have increased on average by 26%.
90% of their product range is manufactured in Europe and each order is shipped from their distribution centre in the UK to more than 172 countries. Stockists include Next Label in the UK and Nordstrom in the US. Investments will be used to increase the Baukjen's brand presence through physical retailers via concessions and pop-ups.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£486,800
Swing has pioneered an IoT-connected micro-gym, the Swing Box, equipped with integrated free weights suitable for outdoor use. This innovative gym solution includes adjustable backrests and various dumbbells and kettlebells, catering to users of all fitness levels. Users can conveniently locate, reserve, and unlock the Swing Box using any smartphone, aiming to combat physical inactivity, which contributes to a significant number of deaths and costs the UK £7.4 billion annually. Swing's solution addresses the barriers of affordability, accessibility, and time in exercise by providing on-demand, free-access outdoor micro-gyms in communal parks and green spaces. With over 90% of UK residents within a 10-minute walk of public parks and only 32% meeting NHS guidelines for muscle-strength activity, Swing aims to lease these boxes to grant public access with leaseholders paying an annual fee of £2500 per box, covering maintenance and operations.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£287,590
Carbon Gold (CG) is an organic biochar producer and retailer. It claims that its products can replace harmful pesticides, last longer, and lock away CO2. The company's sales increased by 253% from £77,000 to £272,000 in 2020 with sales in 17 countries worldwide. CG's organic products employ biochar, a type of charcoal made from sustainably sourced materials. CG further enriches it with multiple strains of fungi, bacteria and minerals, that support healthy soil biology. The company is partnering with the Woodland Trust, is certified by the Soil Association, and is also a certified B Corp. The company will use the investment to boost its marketing, international development, and manufacturing.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£722,468
Hitmarker is a proprietary job platform that covers the entire video game sector. It aims to be the leading job provider in the $159 billion video game industry. It has a database of 67,000 candidates and has posted 46,000 jobs from 4,500 companies in 77 countries. The company asserts that one million people have used Hitmarker 2.5 million times to post or look for jobs. Hitmarker has been covered by publications like Forbes, CNBC, and The FT. It has also onboarded 20 partners, including The University of California, RGF Executive Search, and the British Esports Association. The company will use the investment to build a global network of localised platforms in crucial territories and expand its addressable market.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£521,283
An innovative solution to the ocean's plastic issues with the use of plasma treatment facilities. Ocean Polymers are utilising technology similar to that of the US Navy, by using a combination of ship and land-based recycling and manufacturing processes. Partnering with QA-UK, the company have developed sea drones to identify plastic waste to aid in cleaning the ocean. This method results in operational savings and a smaller carbon footprint.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£403,470
Rabble is a gamified and licensed fitness program that transforms exercise into fun, team-based games. It was first formed by a former international athlete and then financed by investors from the LA Fitness & Liverpool football club. Rabble has quickly risen to 100 authorized sites strengthening many healthy communities over the UK. It is a differentiated concept which is named as Global Fitness Trend (WGSN). It has a proven and scalable model where the market leaders earn revenue of more than $100m. Further, it has developed 100+ instructors across the UK in less than one year. Rabble aims at helping and changing more lives with the finance that it raises. It is planning to grow to more than 300 Rabble sites in the coming year.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£274,530
Snaffling Pig is an award-winning pork brand which makes snacks with high-quality ingredients. In 2016, Snaffling Pig appeared on Dragons' Den by gaining investment from the Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins. Last year, Snaffling Pig had sold more than 3m packets in 2018 to Tesco, Sainsbury's & Co-op. The company has been given 9 Great Taste Awards and the only Pork Scratching Advent Calendar. The company had a sales turnover of £3.2m in 2018/19 and, it achieved a Net Profit of £350k. The company is aiming to raise £750k to further expand its porky brand to new categories and gain new customers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,089,540
Qardus is an ethical and Sharia-compliant financing platform for social impact Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and investors. Qardus asserts that the 3.8 million Muslim community in the UK, and 25 million in Europe, is massively underserved when it comes to accessing interest-free (Sharia-compliant) structures. It intends to change this. Qardus offers up to £200,000 in innovative interest-free business financing to eligible SMEs for tenors of up to 24 months and is Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approved. Qardus points out that it has provided over £250,000 in financing to some high social impact SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintained a 100% track record with a 0% default rate to date, and featured in media entities like Sifted, Islamic Finance News, Peer-to-Peer Finance News, and Fintech Futures amongst others. It will use 30% of the investment on marketing costs for acquiring SMEs and investors on its platform, 60% on growing its team, and 10% on obtaining additional licenses to expand its services.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£313,009
Created is an academy for people who wish to enter the creative industries, one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK. It connects the gap between employment and education in the creative industries. It encourages education inside the UK’s £100bn+ creative industries by offering career accelerator courses. The academy proceeds with years of team expertise and experience in the creative industries and education. Created finished its first two rounds of funding amounting £610K from a blend of angels and corporate investors. Now, Created is seeking funds to develop further courses and support the recruitment of students.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£425,790
